Nova Scotians come out of shadows to line up for legal pot

A crowd of about 100 people was lined up outside the NSLC outlet on Clyde Street in Halifax Wednesday morning waiting for the chance to legally buy recreational cannabis for the first time in Nova Scotia.

The mood was cordial and jovial in the lineup, which wasn’t much shorter an hour after the store opened.

The first purchase was by Alicia Wright, who was brought into the store ahead of time to give media a chance to see the purchasing process. She met with an employee, then went through a questionnaire on a tablet to determine what might be the best category of pot for her.

From there it was off to look at what products fell into the category — relax, unwind, centre or enhance — then to the checkout. Wright also bought rolling paper and a grinder from among the accessories available.

She spent $45 on the accessories and 3.5 grams of pot.

“It feels great,” she said of being able to make the purchase. “I’m not a huge consumer recreationally, but I like to think I represent a pretty common demographic.”

She said she has held a medical prescription in the past, and as a massage therapist “I acknowledge the benefits of responsible cannabis use. Canada is right now leading in a real positive way for the rest of the world to de-stigmatize what has historically been seen as something negative.”

She said making the purchase in the store was more relaxing than making purchases through someone else before legalization.

“It feels a lot more above board, and (I feel) a lot more knowledgeable,” she said. “In the past, I think people just consumed whatever they could come across, but I’m feeling more empowered now learning about different strains and benefits. There is a massive variety if cannabis and uses and purposes, so I was happy to see the information they had in the store.”

The first purchase after doors opened in the province was actually in New Minas, where the NSLC outlet is in a mall and opened at 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than other locations.

The first person in line on Clyde Street was Joseph Brown.

A typical display you'll find in the cannabis section of the NSLC.

“I wanted to come early because this is a big deal,” he said. “Weed has been illegal for a long time — it probably shouldn’t have been in the first place.”

He said being able to buy it legally brings peace of mind.

“Every other time, you always have that overhanging, ‘big brother is on the watch, there are people patrolling the streets right now just to catch people like you.’ You felt like you were at odds with your government, because you knew that it’s wrong that they were trying to penalize people for something as trivial as (simple possession).”

The first customer out of the store after it opened was Tim MacLeod.

“It was like buying anything in a store, except you can’t hold it in your hand,” he said of his eight-gram purchase.

Isaac Langille bought the legal limit of 30 grams, shelling out $344.

“I’m happy, this is an historic day for Canada and the world,” he said. “I bought a whole bunch, and I’m going to try some of it later today, I hope.”

Zach Fraser came out of the store with four bags clasped in his hands

“I went for one of everything (I could),” he said. “I’m pretty excited about it, and there’s still more options. I couldn’t purchase enough to get all the different types. There was a large variety and I hope everyone takes advantage of that.”

Back in the line, there was excitement as the chance to get inside the store came closer

“It’s an exciting day. I’m here just for the full experience, just to absorb it and see what is offered here,” said John Joe.

He said he wants to see what the product selection is and the knowledge level of staff, because “I think there are a lot of educated consumers in the market.”

He planned to buy a variety of products. “I think I’m going to be able to find something I like. I have an idea of who is supplying product and I have some belief in those suppliers.”

When asked what brought him to the outlet so early, Aldean Cromwell had a one-word answer: “Weed.”

He said he smokes marijuana “avidly,” and wants to see what the product is like.

“It’s history. This is a change in what we know and what we’ll know,” he said.

He said he expects the product to not be the same quality as what he is used to.

“That’s what I expect, but I still want to try it. I’m going to buy two of the premium strains, and then we’ll see how it goes.”

Even if the quality is as good as what he is used to, he said he won’t necessarily cut off the source he has used until now.

“I’ll keep the number saved in my phone.”

NSLC spokeswoman Beverley Ware said there were lineups at all locations Wednesday morning, with the longest in New Minas and Lower Sackville.

She said sales were brisk in the first hour. By noon, sales figures across the province reached $100,000, with 73 orders placed online.

“It’s really exciting in there,” she said outside the Clyde Street store. “Some customers, as soon as they come in, go straight to the front of the lineup because they know the type of product they’re looking for, while others are going to the tablets and chatting with our employees and going to the scent stations.”

She said the lineups are what were expected, and not overwhelming. Amherst had dwindled to a wait of four people by 2:30 p.m., but Clyde Street’s line was still a good size.

There had been no issues at any of the stores, she said.

Zach Fraser said he bought as many different marijuana varieties as he could before reaching his 30-gram limit Wednesday morning at the Clyde Street NSLC outlet. Cannabis can be legally sold and smoked starting as of Wednesday.